Setting Your Macros for Body Recomposition

Body recomposition sits in a strange place. You are not bulking. You are not cutting. You are trying to do both at once, which means the standard advice for either goal does not quite apply. The calorie target is different. The macro split is different. And the way you track progress has to change, because the scale will barely move even when things are working.

The good news: recomp is not some metabolic trick. It is a well-documented outcome when protein intake is high enough, resistance training is consistent, and calories are positioned correctly. A meta-analysis of 49 randomised controlled trials (1,863 participants) found that protein supplementation during resistance training significantly increased fat-free mass. The catch was a ceiling: gains in fat-free mass plateaued once total protein intake exceeded roughly 1.6 g/kg/day. Below that line, you leave muscle on the table. Above it, more protein does not accelerate the process.

That study gives you the anchor point for your body recomposition macros. Everything else builds from it.

Where calories should sit

A steep deficit forces your body to prioritise energy conservation over muscle protein synthesis. A steep surplus adds fat faster than muscle. Recomp works in the narrow band between the two.

For most people, that means eating at maintenance calories or in a small deficit of 100 to 300 calories per day. Healthline's summary of body recomposition research puts it clearly: to lose fat while maintaining or building your physique, it is best to moderately decrease calorie intake while incorporating resistance training.

Calculate maintenance the same way you would for any goal. Start with the Harris-Benedict equation:

• Males: 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age)
• Females: 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age)

Multiply by your activity factor: 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for light exercise one to three days per week, 1.55 for moderate exercise three to five days, 1.725 for hard exercise six to seven days.

If you are newer to resistance training or carrying more body fat, you can usually recomp at maintenance or even a slight surplus. If you are already lean and trained, a mild deficit tends to work better.

Protein: the number that drives recomp

Protein does double duty during recomposition. It stimulates muscle protein synthesis while preserving lean mass in any energy shortfall. This is why body recomposition macros lean heavier on protein than a standard bulking split.

Examine's Optimal Protein Intake Guide recommends 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg/day for athletes, citing position stands from the American College of Sports Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Dietitians of Canada. The International Society of Sports Nutrition sets a similar range of 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg.

For recomp specifically, aim for the upper half of that range: 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg per day (roughly 0.7 to 1.0 g per pound). The Morton et al. meta-analysis found that protein intakes beyond 1.62 g/kg/day did not produce further gains in fat-free mass during resistance training. Going a bit above that threshold is cheap insurance for individual variation, but going to 3 g/kg is unnecessary for most people.

Spread it across the day. Four meals with 30 to 50 grams each tends to be more practical than trying to hit 150 grams in two sittings. If you want a deeper look at how much protein you actually need, we covered the research here.

Fat: enough for hormones, not so much it crowds out carbs

Dietary fat supports hormone production (including testosterone), absorbs fat-soluble vitamins, and makes food taste good enough that you stick with the plan. Cut it too low and recovery suffers. Set it too high and you have no room left for the carbohydrates that fuel training.

A reliable range for recomp: 0.7 to 1.2 g/kg per day. That typically works out to 20 to 35 percent of total calories.

Where you land in that range is partly preference. If you train with high volume and rely on glycogen, keep fat closer to 0.7 g/kg so carbs can be higher. If you train fewer days or prefer higher-fat meals, you can push toward 1.2 g/kg.

Carbohydrates: whatever is left

Once protein and fat are locked in, carbs fill the remaining calories. This is not because carbs are an afterthought. They fuel resistance training, support recovery, and spare protein from being burned as energy. But they are the most flexible macro, so they get assigned last.

The formula: (total calories - protein calories - fat calories) / 4 = grams of carbs per day.

For someone eating 2,500 calories with 160 g protein and 75 g fat, the maths works out to:

• Protein: 160 g x 4 = 640 cal
• Fat: 75 g x 9 = 675 cal
• Remaining: 2,500 - 640 - 675 = 1,185 cal
• Carbs: 1,185 / 4 = 296 g

That is a solid carb intake for someone training four to five days per week. If your calories are lower (say, 2,000), the carb number shrinks, and that is fine. Protein and fat do not budge.

Worked example: 80 kg, moderately active

An 80 kg person training four days per week, aiming for recomp at maintenance.

Step 1: Estimate maintenance. Using Harris-Benedict for a 30-year-old male, 178 cm: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 80) + (5 x 178) - (6.8 x 30) = 1,848 cal. Multiply by 1.55 (moderate activity) = 2,864 cal. Round to 2,850.

Step 2: Set protein. 2.0 g/kg x 80 = 160 g protein (640 cal).

Step 3: Set fat. 1.0 g/kg x 80 = 80 g fat (720 cal).

Step 4: Calculate carbs. 2,850 - 640 - 720 = 1,490 cal. Divide by 4 = 373 g carbs.

The split: 160 g protein / 80 g fat / 373 g carbs. As percentages: roughly 22% protein, 25% fat, 53% carbs.

That ratio will look different at different body weights and calorie levels, which is why working in grams per kilogram is more useful than memorising a percentage split.

Adjusting for hardgainers and ectomorphs

If you have a fast metabolism and struggle to gain weight, body recomposition is actually an easier entry point than a full bulk. You do not need the 500-calorie surplus that a lean bulk requires. You just need to be at or slightly above maintenance, with protein high enough to support muscle protein synthesis.

The main risk for hardgainers during recomp is under-eating without realising it. Examine notes that the RDA of 0.8 g/kg/day is a minimum to prevent malnutrition, not a target for building muscle. If you are only hitting that number, you are leaving growth on the table regardless of your body type.

Track honestly for one week before adjusting anything. If your weight is trending down and your lifts are stalling, you are in too steep a deficit. Add 100 to 200 calories from carbohydrates and reassess after two weeks.

How to know recomp is working

The scale is nearly useless during body recomposition. If you lose 1 kg of fat and gain 1 kg of muscle in a month, the scale says nothing happened. Three better indicators:

Strength trends. If your working weights or reps per set are increasing over a four-to-six-week window, you are building muscle. Stalled lifts across the board suggest you need more food, more protein, or more recovery.

Measurements and photos. Waist circumference dropping while shoulder or thigh measurements hold steady (or grow) is the visual signature of recomp. Take measurements and photos every two to four weeks under consistent conditions: same time of day, same lighting, same clothing.

Body fat estimation. Skinfold callipers, a DEXA scan, or even a reliable bioimpedance scale can show the shift in body fat percentage over time. No single reading is precise, but the trend over eight to twelve weeks tells the story.

When to stop recomping and pick a direction

Recomp is not permanent. It works best for people who are newer to resistance training, returning after a break, or carrying enough body fat that the body has stored energy to redirect. As you get leaner and more trained, the rate of simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain slows.

If your lifts have plateaued for six or more weeks, your measurements are not changing, and your body fat is already in a range you are comfortable with, it is probably time to commit to either a lean bulk or a dedicated cut. Recomp got you to the middle. Picking a direction gets you the rest of the way.